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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- As the gun debate gains momentum, so have sales of certain guns, specifically the AR-15. Some lawmakers are targeting this type of rifle. Now, customers are snapping them up.

After the Newtown, Connecticut shootings, this type of gun has been getting a lot of attention.

Some lawmakers want to ban them, so now gun owners are stepping up and making their voices heard at the cash register.

Retired Sergeant Anthony Cobb spent nearly 10 years in the Marines. He said in addition to the ban, there's a reason why this gun is so popular.

"I think any time you try to get rid of something, it's going to push sales."

He said, in general, it's a reliable gun.

"It's easy to shoot, it's easy to load, it's easy to learn, it's easy to take apart," he said. It's similar to the guns he and many others use in the service.

That military connection has also created the appeal and demand for the gun. With anything else, high demand usually means higher price. Sales of AR-15s have doubled at Green Acres Sporting Goods in the last couple of months.

"Anywhere up from $200 or so more than from where they were before," said Green Acres Sporting Goods manager Phillip Gazaleh.

Which is part of the gun's mystique, getting interest from people who normally would not be looking at this type of gun. Like customer Kim Broadway.

"It's really my husband that wanted it, but he didn't really want it before," she said.

As the gun debate continues, experts say sales will continue to rise as well.